HealthPartners Institute and researchers at the University of Minnesota have teamed up with developers to create a mobile app that provides users with data about the health of their neighborhood, helping them avoid potential COVID-19 hotspots.
“People want clear information about their health and their neighborhoods. Those of us in health care and public health are limited in our ability to test, isolate and trace the contacts of possible COVID-19 cases,” said Bjorn Westgard, an emergency physician and population health researcher at the HealthPartners Institute. “This tool could help with both of those issues.”
Called SafeDistance, the app crowdsources data down to the level of people’s census block groups. These census block groups usually contain around 1,500 people and most accurately reflect neighborhoods.
Most current COVID-19 tracking maps only break down COVID-19 data to the county level, which is not detailed enough to help public health officials contain outbreaks or target resources. SafeDistance includes potential and confirmed cases.
No account is required to use SafeDistance and users will not be asked for identifiable information. Visit safedistance.org to download the app or learn more about it.
